I remember it like it was yesterday, though it was some 10 months ago now.

“I want you to stand on one leg, lifting your other foot off the ground, out in front of the other leg and point your toes toward your face.”

Those were the instructions my trainer, Farr Ramsahoye of Visionary Fitness, gave me during an early training session. He was basically asking to me to stand on one foot. Back then, the goal was to strengthen that vertical base and begin to build a strong foundation.

No problem, I thought. As I lifted one foot, I lost my balance immediately. I tried again. Again I lost my balance. What seemed, in my head at least, like it should have been an easy task, quickly proved to be anything but. I got a few seconds without stumbling, then lost my balance. This went on for three miserable sets. It was actually very humiliating. Humbling and humiliating.

As the months wore on, Farr continued to insist that I master the tall standing protocol.

After I was able to stand and deliver for 10 seconds, on both legs, the game changed. I then had to stand and pass a light kettlebell between my hands in front of my body, while standing on one leg. A tall standing protocol with kettlebell swap. How fancy! How challenging!

After I got the point in which I didn’t suck at that, Farr turned up the difficulty yet again, this time asking me to perform the tall standing protocol on top of a workout bench, first just standing for 10-counts, then standing and passing kettlebells. Since then, I’ve also done tall standing with my eyes closed (by far the hardest of all the challenges) and while standing on an inverted workout bench and on a Bosu (both sides).

And you know what? It’s working.

An old achy ankle that I came to Farr with last December is stronger than it ever has been, my balance is better than ever and tall standing is both fun and challenging to me, something I look forward to when tasked with the next challenge.

The evolution of the tall standing protocol is but one example of many things I’ve mastered under the tutelage of Ramsahoye, who I can only liken to a painter working on a masterpiece, slowly and meticulously striving for perfection. Romanian deadlifts started as nearly impossible for me, but now are, according to Farr, among the best he’s seen. And let me tell you about Bulgarian split squats. I’m loathe to call them a favourite as they’re extremely difficult and require a ton of energy to perform, but they’re growing on me.

In fact, Farr snapped some pics — including the accompanying one with this column — this week and I was completely blown away by how much leaner my legs and torso are. Full marks to the split squats for the leg changes. I have muscles in my legs now that I never knew existed. I’m able to perform the squats without the aid of Farr, or objects to hold onto as I go into them or come up. We have also performed them elevated and with resistence. I’m eager to find out what the next level is for them.

This is exactly how Farr and I have approached everything. Slowly, purposefully, meticulously. And quite frankly, I just woke up one day and realized how strong I am becoming. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had post-workout soreness, something I used to give myself frequently when I’d push my limits and up my weights. Unfortunately, that method left me with several lingering injuries that Farr is also helping me address. That’s not to say I don’t work hard, or I don’t sweat. I do. Sometimes profusely. The results speak for themselves. I’ve lost weight, I’ve added strength and I’ve truly gotten into much healthier and better strength. And I really feel like we’re just hitting our stride, which excites me to no end. As they say, it’s a marathon, not a race.

In my next column, I’ll cover some very exciting things that are just ahead in this journey.